Margaret Atwood‘s classic dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale was released in 1985, but as Hulu’s hit series has proved, it is more timely than ever. That’s not exactly ideal for society, but it does make it a fitting time for a sequel, which Atwood has announced will be released next year.
The author posted on Twitter (via at CBC) that her best-selling book, which has been adapted into a popular series starring Elisabeth Moss as the Handmaid Offred, will be released next year. The Testaments, which will hit bookshelves in September 2019, will be set 15 years after the original novel and will be narrated by three different female characters. In her announcement, Atwood said she was inspired to write it by “everything you’ve ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings” as well as “the world we’ve been living in.” (So we’re gonna guess it probably won’t be purely feel-good.)
Yes indeed to those who asked: I’m writing a sequel to The #HandmaidsTale. #TheTestaments is set 15 years after Offred’s final scene and is narrated by three female characters. It will be published in Sept 2019. More details: https://t.co/e1umh5FwpX pic.twitter.com/pePp0zpuif
— Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) November 28, 2018
The Testaments will have no connection to the show, but it should give readers a chance to get some answers about the original novel’s ambiguous ending. Was Nick who he said he was, or did he betray Offred? A flash forward 200 years into the future revealed the Republic of Gilead had fallen, but we only got the suggestion that Offred had made it safely to Canada.
Will we find out her journey was successful and she helped Mayday lead a revolution, or did it take her years to escape? That is, if she ever did. We certainly hope so, because the real world is dark enough these days. We could really use a happy ending, even if it comes in a fictional dystopian world.
What do you think The Testaments will reveal about Gilead and the fate of Offred? Tell us in the comments below.
Featured Image: Hulu
